One fun aspect of anime is the way it can totally blow us away, absolutely flooring us with its awesome story, characters, and world-building. I asked J-List’s followers “what anime blew you away?” and these are some of the awesome series we came up with.
What anime utterly blew you away when you watched it. I was amazed by Gunslinger Girl, it just floored me with its visuals and story. pic.twitter.com/kKJskWvrO2
— J-LIST 🎃 (@jlist) November 4, 2019
Puella Magi Madoka Madoka. The “post-magical girl magical girl” series by genius writer Urobuchi Gen was so amazing, with its dark imagery about a world where magical girls can be killed, we will never forget it.
Cowboy Bebop. The storyline, animation, characters, bold noir themes. If there’s a perfect anime, this might just be it.
Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works. Though I am familiar with the story, the totality of this “Unlimited Budget Works” was really a treat, and I loved every moment of it.
All the films of Makoto Shinkai. The man who invented the “sky porn” and “rain porn” visual genres have also told us some incredible stories. My favorite is Garden of Words (a young woman and a high school student help each other learn to walk forward in life) and, of course, Kimi no Nawa.
Your Lie in April. The story of the various challenges a genius piano player faces in his life, and the people around him, especially Kaori, an amazingly talented violinist. One of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever seen, sadness and all.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. At first, I thought, “Oh, another isekai anime, okay.” But as the story unfolded, I realized this was one of the most amazingly executed isekai anime series ever. I was engaged with all the characters as their stories unfolded every episode.
The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. With episodes that play out of order on purpose to create a feeling of confusion and wonder, Haruhi is a true classic. The annual re-watch of the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya film will certainly be a solemn event this year.
Steins;Gate. Another genius show that sucked us all in and wouldn’t let us go, Steins;Gate is the story of some young scientists who alter the future with their inventions, leading to a dystopian dark world. We love it so much, we translated the game.
School-Live. Another anime that blew us away, School-Live (aka Gakkou Gurashi) is the story of some cute moe girls who decide to live at their school for a few weeks. It’s totally not because a zombie apocalypse has occurred. It’s got some the most amazing twists and best writing, make sure you watch it.
Big O. Basically, what if Bruce Wayne had a giant robot and an android maid sidekick, instead of a Batmobile. One of the greatest shows of its era.
Aim for the Top! Gunbuster. The anime that united my love of sci-fi books like Ender’s Game and The Forever War with bouncing anime boobs. Although Gunbuster (and its sequel, Diebuster) is an amazing story of humanity battling “space monsters” over 12,000 years, it’s really a giant homage to a tennis anime called Aim for the Ace!
Did you like our list of anime that blew us away? What anime blew you away? Let us know on Twitter!
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